Warriors:
Are Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson the best tandem in the history of the NBA?
Steph & Klay: Do they belong among the NBA’s all- time dynamic duos? The partnership of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson didn’t fully bloom until three seasons ago, when these two Picassos were presented a proper canvas upon which to express their art. Despite that short time as a dynamic duo, I’m putting Steph/ Klay on my all- time list, and if you want to argue, take it up with your pizza- delivery kid. Curry and Thompson are the two greatest shooters ever. Their shooting has changed the sport. And they have gone to the Finals three times in a row and won the championship twice. So they’re already on my elite duo list, even though technically they might not even be the Warriors’ most dynamic duo. Kevin Durant, remember him? Isn’t
the Dubs’ Dynamic Duo Steph and KD?
Maybe. But there’s something special about the StephKlay partnership that makes them an all- time dynamic duo. They are the two key cogs in Steve Kerr’s killer Dyna- Flo offense.
There have been other NBA players who moved without the ball at a dizzying, defense exhausting, nonstop pace. Three who spring to mind: Chris Mullin of the Warriors, Reggie Miller of the Pacers and Rip Hamilton of the Pistons. However, I don’t recall two guys on the same team who both did the hyper- windshield- wiper thing all game long, every game. If you’re plotting defense against the Warriors, your first rule has to be: “Treat Steph and Klay like they just snatched your grandmother’s purse.”
The cool thing about all that movement — and it’s what helps make them great — is that it’s all done within a framework, within a creative system. It’s a well- choreographed jailbreak. Or, for you older folks: Keystone Kops meet June Taylor Dancers.
Curry and Thompson are each darting around in their own world, yet working together, sometimes setting picks for one another, both completely selfless. Curry will pass up a wide- open three to hit Thompson for a three, Thompson is hot, per the stat monitor in Curry’s head.
Here are some other great dynamic duos, with comments:
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen: These guys have to be No. 1 on any list, with two three peats in nine seasons. However, this was the ultimate Batman and Robin, with one man clearly dominant. The Warriors have Batman and Shot man.
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant: It’s a miracle they stayed together long enough to three- peat, considering their egos. Curry and Thompson are the complete opposite. If they ever have a diva clash, an “It’s-MY- team” argument, the world is doomed.
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul- Jabbar: Five rings, NBA Finals eight times. And they barely spoke. It wasn’t so much an ego clash as it was two men with little in common except basketball genius. Magic was never artistically fulfilled dumping the ball into Captain Hook, but Magic loved to win, and Kareem needed a spark.
Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier: This is one of the few great duos where both guys played the same position ( guard). Also Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, briefly ( 33 straight wins). It’s easier to duo- up when you play different positions. So bonus points for Thompson and Curry.
Bill Russell and Bob Cousy: Russell was the bedrock fundamentalist, Cousy the barrier- breaking artist, back when a behind- the- back pass was a felony. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor: Zero titles ( thanks, Celtics), but a decade of soaring duo brilliance. Like Curry and Thompson, these were two offensive geniuses who both needed the ball, yet found a way to share it. West and Baylor were like Curry/ Thompson in that they weren’t necessarily best buddies, but they had enormous respect for each other, and off the court, they were more brotherly than the world knew.
There are about 10 other great duos worthy of top 10 consideration. Long- term greatness should count. John Stockton and Karl Malone, 18 straight years in the playoffs, 18 million killer pick- and- rolls.
But Thompson/ Curry are already in my top five. There is the breakthrough factor, finding a new way to destroy defenses, three points at a time rather than two. And there is the entertainment factor, the dazzle.
Most dynamic duos have at least one workman — Moses Malone with Julius Erving, Russell with Cousy. Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler could light up a room together, as could LeBron James with Dwyane Wade, but duo- wise, I’ve never seen anything as eye- popping as Curry/ Thompson when both have it going, like two great guitarists trading solos. ( Neil Young and Stephen Stills?)
This can be a complicated discussion and impossible argument. How can Curry/ Thompson be a dynamic duo when Durant might be the team’s best player and Draymond Green might be the team’s MVP?
Don’t overthink it. Last word to head coach Steve Kerr:
“It’s fun to see where they’ve come, and to envision them together for another five or six years, that’s the plan. They’re going to go down as one of the great backcourts of all time when all is said and done. It’s pretty amazing to be coaching them in their primes.”